JP6984364B2 - Control method of medium processing device and medium processing device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a medium processing apparatus that heats a medium and performs a treatment such as drying, and a control method for the medium processing apparatus.

For example, Patent Documents 1 to 3 disclose a printing apparatus that ejects a liquid such as ink onto a medium such as paper to print. This printing apparatus includes a medium processing apparatus having a drying apparatus (an example of a heating unit) for drying a printed medium by subjecting it to a heat treatment such as heating. If the printed medium is carried into the drying device when the temperature of the drying device has not reached the target temperature, the print quality deteriorates when the printed surface is rubbed due to insufficient drying. Therefore, it is necessary to heat the heating element of the drying device before starting a predetermined process such as a printing process, and perform preheating (warming-up operation) in which the temperature of the drying device is raised to a target temperature in advance.

For example, in Patent Document 2, in a liquid injection device provided with a heating mechanism (an example of a heating unit) for heating a medium from the surface side, the surface temperature of the medium (for example, in order to bring the surface of the medium into a heating state of a predetermined temperature). A configuration is known in which the temperature of the heating unit is controlled based on the detection result of the IR sensor that detects the paper surface temperature).

However, in the stage before printing, the heating of the drying device is performed in a state where there is no medium inside, so that the temperature sensor such as the IR sensor targets the support surface (transport surface) without the medium as the detection target. However, the support surface is made of a material (metal, etc.) different from the material of the medium (paper, etc.) and has a different emissivity from the medium. May differ from the temperature suitable for the medium. As a result, for example, there is a concern that the medium may be insufficiently dried, or the medium may be excessively heat-damaged depending on the material of the support surface. Therefore, it is necessary to detect the surface temperature of the medium with a temperature sensor and control the temperature of the heating mechanism.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-192779 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-137604 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-137605

However, it takes time for the warm-up operation to control the temperature of the heating part until it reaches the target temperature and preheat the heating part prior to the predetermined treatment, and the same medium is used for a relatively long time until the heating part reaches the target temperature. If the portion is continuously heated, the medium is damaged by heat damage, and the medium used for preheating cannot be used for printing, and is discarded as waste paper, for example. On the other hand, in this type of medium processing apparatus, there is a desire to reduce or eliminate the discarded portion of the medium.

An object of the present invention is to prevent damage due to heat damage of the medium used as a heating target in a warm-up operation of preheating the heating part to a temperature suitable for heating the medium, and to prevent damage to the heating part based on the surface temperature of the medium. It is an object of the present invention to provide a medium processing apparatus capable of appropriately controlling and a control method of the medium processing apparatus.

Hereinafter, means for solving the above problems and their actions and effects will be described.
The medium processing apparatus for solving the above problems includes a transport unit for transporting the medium, a heating unit for heating the medium, a temperature sensor for detecting the surface temperature of the medium in the heating region by the heating unit, and the temperature sensor. A control unit that controls the heating unit based on the detected surface temperature of the medium is provided, and the control unit controls the heating unit to raise the surface temperature of the medium to a predetermined temperature range. Is started, and the medium is conveyed within a predetermined range in which the medium is located in the area to be detected by the temperature sensor in the warm-up operation.

According to this configuration, in the warm-up operation of preheating the heating part to a temperature suitable for heating the medium, the temperature of the heating part based on the surface temperature of the medium is prevented while preventing damage due to heat damage of the medium used as the heating target. Control can be performed appropriately.

In the medium processing apparatus, when the control unit receives a processing command instructing a predetermined processing, the warm-up operation is started, and when it is detected that the surface temperature of the medium has risen to the predetermined temperature range, the control unit starts the warm-up operation. It is preferable to end the warm-up operation and start a predetermined process.

According to this configuration, when the user instructs a predetermined process, the control unit that receives the process command starts the warm-up operation. The control unit controls the temperature of the heating unit, and when the surface temperature of the medium rises to a predetermined temperature range, the warm-up operation is terminated and the predetermined process is started. Therefore, if the user instructs a predetermined treatment, the heating unit can start the predetermined treatment on the medium after the surface temperature of the medium can be heated to an appropriate predetermined temperature range.

In the medium processing apparatus, it is preferable that the transport of the medium in the warm-up operation includes the transport of the medium at a speed corresponding to the transport speed of the medium in the predetermined process.

According to this configuration, since the warm-up operation includes the transfer of the medium at a speed corresponding to the transfer rate of the medium in the predetermined process to be performed thereafter, the surface temperature of the medium is set to an appropriate temperature when the predetermined process is performed. Can be heated. Therefore, the accuracy of the surface temperature of the medium is improved regardless of the transport speed of the medium in the predetermined treatment, and the medium can be appropriately dried.

In the medium processing apparatus, after the control unit finishes the warm-up operation, the downstream end of the medium is moved upstream from the heating region while the output of the heating unit is maintained within a predetermined range. It is preferable to start the predetermined treatment after the transportation is completed and the transportation to the upstream side from the heating region is completed.

According to this configuration, after the warm-up operation is completed, the downstream end portion of the medium is conveyed to the upstream side from the heating region, and even if the medium is retracted from the detected region of the temperature sensor, the output of the heating portion is predetermined. Therefore, it is possible to prevent malfunction of the heating unit due to the temperature sensor controlling the temperature of the heating unit based on the surface temperature of, for example, the support surface (transport surface) other than the medium.

In the medium processing apparatus, the control unit transfers the medium in the warm-up operation when the surface temperature of the medium detected by the temperature sensor is equal to or higher than a specific temperature lower than the predetermined temperature range. Is preferable.

According to this configuration, in the warm-up operation, even if the medium is heated by the heating unit, the medium is not conveyed before the surface temperature of the medium reaches the specific temperature, and the medium is not conveyed after the surface temperature of the medium reaches the specific temperature. Transport is carried out. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the amount of the medium conveyed in the warm-up operation and contribute to power saving. In this case, since the transfer start timing of the medium is determined by the detection temperature (actual temperature) that is not affected by the external environment, the transfer start timing is too early or too late as compared with the configuration in which the transfer start timing of the medium is determined by the standby time, for example. This can be avoided, and a power saving effect and highly accurate temperature control can be realized.

In the medium processing apparatus, it is preferable that the control unit transfers the medium in the warm-up operation after a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of the warm-up operation.

According to this configuration, the medium is not conveyed in the warm-up operation before a predetermined time elapses from the start of the warm-up operation, and the medium is conveyed in the warm-up operation after the predetermined time elapses. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the amount of the medium conveyed in the warm-up operation and contribute to power saving.

In the media processing device described above, as the conveyance of the medium in the warm-up operation, it is preferable to carry out a transfer toward the lower stream side, and a transport toward the upstream side opposite to the downstream side.

According to this configuration, in the warm-up operation, the medium is conveyed toward the downstream side and the medium is conveyed toward the upstream side. Therefore, the length of the portion of the medium conveyed in the warm-up operation to be heated by the heating portion. Can be kept relatively short. Further, since the transport toward the upstream side is included, the transport amount (for example, the cue transport amount) in which the medium is transported toward the upstream side to the start position of the predetermined process after the warm-up operation is completed can be relatively shortened. The frequency increases. Therefore, the average waiting time from the end of the warm-up operation to the start of the predetermined process can be relatively shortened. As a result, it contributes to the improvement of the throughput of the predetermined processing.

In the medium processing apparatus, it is preferable that the second transport speed in the transport toward the upstream side is higher than the first transport speed in the transport toward the downstream side.
According to this configuration, when the medium is conveyed toward the upstream side, the medium is conveyed at a second transfer speed higher than the first transfer speed when the medium is toward the downstream side. Therefore, even if the region that has just exited from the heating region in the transport toward the downstream side switches to the transport toward the upstream side and immediately enters the heating region, the medium is transported to the downstream side at that time. Since it is transported to the upstream side at a second transport speed higher than that of the first transport speed, it is possible to prevent damage due to heat damage to the region of the medium.

In the media processing device described above, the transport of the medium in the warm-up operation, the maximum surface temperature of the medium during the heating of the heating portion when the conveyance to the lower stream side of the medium is started It is preferable to transport the region on the medium at the above-mentioned position to a position outside the heating region.

According to this configuration, when the medium is conveyed by the warm-up operation, the region on the medium at the position where the surface temperature of the medium becomes the highest during the heating of the heating portion is conveyed to the position outside the heating region. .. Even if the transport toward the downstream side and the transport toward the upstream side of the medium are performed, the region of the medium once goes out of the heating region and is allowed to cool to a certain temperature, and then the transport direction is switched again. Since it enters the heating region, damage due to heat damage of a part of the medium can be effectively prevented.

In the medium processing apparatus, the control unit transfers the medium in the warm-up operation by setting the region of the medium located at the upstream end of the heating region at a predetermined timing on the downstream side of the heating region. It is preferable to carry it to the position.

According to this configuration, all the regions on the medium in the heating region once move out of the heating region at a predetermined timing. Therefore, since all the regions on the medium heated by the heating portion are once cooled to a certain temperature, damage due to heat damage of the medium can be prevented more effectively.

The control method of the medium processing apparatus for solving the above problems is a control method in a medium processing apparatus including a heating unit for heating the medium and a temperature sensor for detecting the surface temperature of the medium in the heating region heated by the heating unit. The heating unit starts a warm-up operation for raising the surface temperature of the medium to a predetermined temperature range, and during the warm-up operation, a predetermined region on the medium is located in a region to be detected by the temperature sensor. The medium is conveyed within a range. According to this method, in the warm-up operation, the temperature of the heated portion can be controlled to an appropriate temperature while suppressing damage due to heat damage of the medium.

The schematic side sectional view which shows the printing apparatus provided with the medium processing apparatus in one Embodiment. A block diagram showing the electrical configuration of a printing device. The graph which shows the temperature distribution of the medium surface temperature in a heating region. Schematic side sectional view of a main part of the printing apparatus when the medium is in the set position. Schematic side sectional view of a main part of a printing device that performs a warm-up operation. FIG. 5 is a schematic side sectional view of a main part of a printing apparatus that performs a warm-up operation different from that in FIG. A schematic side sectional view of a main part of a printing apparatus for explaining transportation toward the upstream side. The schematic side sectional view of the main part of the printing apparatus explaining the operation after the warm-up operation is completed. Schematic side sectional view of a main part of a printing apparatus that performs printing processing. A flowchart showing a temperature adjustment sequence.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of a printing apparatus provided with a medium processing apparatus will be described with reference to the drawings. The printing device is, for example, an inkjet printer that ejects ink, which is an example of a liquid, and prints it on a medium such as paper.

As shown in FIG. 1, the printing apparatus (medium processing apparatus) 11 processes a printing unit 20 that ejects a liquid (for example, ink) onto a medium 99 to print on the medium 99, and a medium 99 that has been printed by the printing unit 20. The target drying device 40 is provided. The ink handled by the printing apparatus 11 of this example comprises, for example, a dye ink or a pigment ink, and contains an evaporable liquid component such as water as a solvent or a dispersion medium. The printing apparatus 11 includes a support surface 13 that supports the medium 99 along a transport path so as to be guideable, and a transport mechanism 14 as an example of a transport unit that transports the medium 99 along the support surface 13. The transport mechanism 14 includes a transport table 31 that supports the printed medium 99. The transport table 31 is arranged at a position on the downstream side of the transport direction Y with respect to the printing unit 20. The drying device 40 is arranged at a position facing the transport table 31 with the transport path of the medium 99 transported on the transport table 31 interposed therebetween.

The printing unit 20 forms a printing mechanism 21 as an example of a printing unit that ejects a liquid (for example, ink) toward a conveyed medium 99 to print, and forms a horizontal portion of the support surface 13 and the printing mechanism 21. A support base 19 (for example, a platen) for supporting the medium 99 is provided at a position facing the surface. The printing mechanism 21 is housed in an accommodating body 12 having an opening on the side facing the support base 19.

The medium 99 is, for example, a long roll of paper. The transport mechanism 14 has a first rotating shaft 15 that rotatably supports a roll body R1 on which a long medium 99 before printing is rolled up in a cylindrical shape, and a printed medium 99 is wound up in a roll shape. It has a second rotation shaft 16 that supports the roll body R2. The first rotary shaft 15 is arranged at a position on the upstream side of the transport path to which the medium 99 is transported, and the second rotary shaft 16 is arranged at a position on the downstream side of the transport path. The first rotating shaft 15 is rotationally driven by the feeding motor 73 (see FIG. 2) as a power source, so that the transport mechanism 14 feeds the medium 99 from the roll body R1. Further, the transport mechanism 14 winds up the medium 99 as a roll body R2 by rotationally driving the second rotating shaft 16 using the take-up motor 74 (see FIG. 2) as a power source.

Further, the transport mechanism 14 has a transport roller 17 that rotates in contact with the medium 99 at a position between the first rotation shaft 15 and the second rotation shaft 16 in the transport path of the medium 99. The transport roller 17 is arranged on the upstream side of the print area PA facing the printing mechanism 21 in the transport direction Y. The transport roller 17 is rotationally driven in accordance with the printing operation of the printing mechanism 21 using the transport motor 72 (see FIG. 2) as a power source, and transports the medium 99 in the transport direction Y.

In the present embodiment, the direction along the transport path of the medium 99 transported along the support surface 13 is referred to as "transport direction Y". Therefore, the transport direction Y changes according to the position on the transport path, as shown by the solid arrow in FIG. For example, in the print area PA, the transport direction Y is the horizontal direction. Further, for example, in the transport region on the downstream side of the print region PA until the medium 99 is wound up by the roll body R2, the transport direction Y is an oblique direction in which the downstream side is inclined vertically downward.

Here, the support surface 13 includes a first support surface 13A that supports the medium 99 unwound from the roll body R1 on the upstream side of the transfer roller 17 in the transfer direction Y, and a print area PA in the transfer direction Y, and includes the transfer roller. It has a second support surface 13B that supports the medium 99 on the downstream side of 17, and a third support surface 13C that supports the medium 99 on the downstream side of the print area PA. The second support surface 13B is the upper surface (the surface on the vertically upper side) of the support base 19 that supports the medium 99 on the downstream side of the transport roller 17. The third support surface 13C is the upper surface of the transport table 31 that supports the printed medium 99. The transport table 31 is arranged in a section on the transport path between the print area PA and the second rotating shaft 16 that supports the roll body R2. The drying device 40 heats and dries the printed medium 99 supported by the transport table 31.

As shown in FIG. 1, the printing mechanism 21 has a printing head 22 that ejects a liquid (for example, ink). The print head 22 prints on the medium 99 by adhering (landing) the discharged liquid to the medium 99. The printing mechanism 21 is a serial printing method as an example, and has a carriage 23 for holding the print head 22 and a guide shaft 24 for guiding the movement of the carriage 23. The print head 22 ejects ink while reciprocating with the carriage 23 in the width direction X (for example, the scanning direction) intersecting (for example, orthogonal to) the transport direction Y of the medium 99. Then, the printing operation in which the print head 22 moves in the width direction X to print for one scan and the transfer operation in which the medium 99 is conveyed to the next printing position are repeatedly performed, so that an image or the like is printed on the medium 99. Is printed. The printing mechanism 21 may be a line printing method. The line printing type printing mechanism 21 has a long printing head 22 that discharges a liquid so that the entire width of the medium 99 can be printed at one time. Then, the transfer mechanism 14 discharges the liquid from the print head 22 to the medium 99 being conveyed at a constant speed all at once, and prints an image or the like on the medium 99.

The drying device 40 shown in FIG. 1 finishes printing by the printing unit 20 and dries the medium 99 to which the liquid is attached by heat treatment. As described above, the printing device 11 includes a transport table 31 that supports the printed medium 99, and the drying device 40 is printed along the third support surface 13C (transport surface) of the transfer table 31. The medium 99 is heated and dried. The transport table 31 includes a support surface member 32 including a third support surface 13C (hereinafter, also simply referred to as “support surface 13C”) that supports the printed medium 99, and both ends of the support surface member 32 in the width direction X. It has a pair of left and right side frames 33 (only one of which is shown in FIG. 1) supported by the portion. The support surface member 32 is supported by a pair of side frames 33 in an oblique posture shown in FIG. 1 to form a downward slope with the support surface 13C vertically downward toward the downstream side. The support surface member 32 is wider in the width direction X than the maximum width of the medium 99 used in the printing apparatus 11, and is longer in the transport direction Y than the heating region HA heated by the drying apparatus 40 (see FIG. 1).

As shown in FIG. 1, the drying device 40 is an air supply path that serves as a passage for a heating mechanism 41, a housing 42 that houses the heating mechanism 41, and an air flow that circulates in the housing 42 in a path that surrounds the heating mechanism 41. A blower 47 for generating an air flow in a path passing through the air passage 46 is provided with the 46. The heating mechanism 41 is arranged at a position facing the support surface 13C and heats the medium 99 supported by the support surface 13C. The heating mechanism 41 has a heating element 43 as a heating source. The heating element 43 is, for example, a heater tube. A plurality of heating elements 43 (two in the example of FIG. 1) are arranged at positions facing the support surface 13C at intervals in the transport direction Y. A reflector 44 having a concave curved reflecting surface is arranged at a position opposite to the support surface 13C side with respect to the heating element 43. Most of the heat of the heating element 43 toward the opposite side of the support surface 13C is reflected toward the support surface 13C by the reflector 44. As a result, most of the radiation from the heating element 43 goes toward the support surface 13C. In the following specification, the heating element 43 located on the upstream side in the transport direction Y is referred to as a first heating element 43A, and the heating element 43 located on the downstream side in the transport direction Y is referred to as a second heating element 43B. There is. The second heating element 43B is a heating element located on the most downstream side in the transport direction Y.

The air supply passage 46 formed in the housing 42 has an intake port 46a for taking in outside air and an air outlet 46b that opens toward the support surface 13C. The heating mechanism 41 is located between the intake port 46a and the air outlet 46b in the transport direction Y. In this example, the intake port 46a is arranged at a position downstream of the heating mechanism 41 in the transport direction Y, and the air outlet 46b is arranged at a position upstream of the heating mechanism 41 in the transport direction Y.

The blower 47 has a fan 48 arranged in the air passage 46. The blower 47 is arranged in the direction in which the airflow is generated (blower direction) in the direction indicated by the solid arrow AF in FIG. 1, and the gas taken into the air passage 46 from the intake port 46a flows toward the outlet 46b. Let me. The portion of the air supply passage 46 connected to the air outlet 46b on the downstream side of the fan 48 has a shape in which the flow path is narrowed. Further, the portion of the air supply path 46 on the downstream side of the fan 48 is extended so as to be inclined at an angle at which an air flow can be blown toward the support surface 13C diagonally downstream. As a result, the airflow blown out from the outlet 46b flows in the transport direction Y along the surface (printing surface) of the medium 99 on the support surface 13C. Since there is a possibility that the amount of air blown by the fan 48 varies depending on the length of the drying device 40 in the width direction X, a plurality of fans 48 may be arranged side by side in the width direction X.

The heating mechanism 41 has a wire mesh 49 shown in FIG. 1 arranged in a portion of the housing 42 between the air outlet 46b and the intake port 46a and facing the support surface 13C. The heat of the heating element 43 is transferred to the medium 99 on the support surface 13C through the wire mesh 49. Further, the wire mesh 49 guides the airflow from the air outlet 46b to the intake port 46a so as to flow along the support surface 13C. By doing so, the airflow blown out from the outlet 46b flows in the heating region HA heated by the heating element 43 along the transport direction Y.

Therefore, in the heating region HA, the evaporation of the liquid contained in the ink discharged on the surface of the medium 99 is promoted by the radiant heat from the heating element 43 and the air flow. Further, when vapor stays in the vicinity of the surface of the medium 99 and a diffusion layer close to the saturated vapor pressure is formed, evaporation of the liquid from the medium 99 is hindered. In this example, since the vapor near the surface of the medium 99 is blown off by the air flow, the liquid can be continuously evaporated from the medium 99. Further, in the heating region HA, the support surface member 32 having the support surface 13C is heated by the radiant heat from the heating element 43 and the air flow. Therefore, the medium 99 is heated by the heat transferred from the support surface 13C in addition to the radiant heat and the air flow from the heating element 43 in the heating region HA.

Further, a temperature sensor 50 for detecting the surface temperature of the medium 99 in the heating region HA (hereinafter, also referred to as “medium surface temperature”) is mounted in the drying device 40. The temperature sensor 50 of this example is a non-contact type sensor capable of detecting the surface temperature from a position away from the object. The temperature sensor 50 is, for example, an infrared sensor. The temperature sensor 50 is supported at a position inside the air supply passage 46 in the housing 42 at an attitude angle pointing in the direction of the arrow shown by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. The temperature sensor 50 detects the surface temperature of the medium in the detected region on the medium 99. In the temperature sensor 50 of this example, the position of the highest temperature in the temperature distribution in the transport direction Y in the heating region HA is set as the detected region. The path of the detected light of the temperature sensor 50 is secured through each opening (not shown) formed in the reflector 44 and the wire mesh 49. The temperature sensor 50 may be a non-contact sensor other than the infrared sensor.

Next, the electrical configuration of the printing apparatus 11 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the printing apparatus 11 includes a control unit 60 (controller). The control unit 60 has an input unit 61 as an input system, a temperature sensor 50 capable of detecting the temperature of the drying device 40, and a predetermined position on the transport path located upstream of the print area PA in the transport direction Y. A medium sensor 51 capable of detecting the medium 99 and an encoder 52 that outputs a pulse signal including a number of pulses proportional to the amount of the medium 99 conveyed are electrically connected. The control unit 60 inputs a print job from the input unit 61, a detection signal of the temperature sensor 50, a detection signal of the medium sensor 51, and a pulse signal from the encoder 52 via an input interface (not shown).

Further, in the control unit 60, as an output system, the heating element 43, the fan motor 71 which is the power source of the fan 48, and the transfer motor which is the power source of the transfer roller 17 are passed through a plurality of drive circuits (not shown). 72, the feed motor 73 which is the power source of the first rotary shaft 15, the take-up motor 74 which is the power source of the second rotary shaft 16, and the print head 22 are electrically connected. Further, in this example in which the printing device 11 is a serial printer, the carriage motor, which is the power source of the carriage 23, is electrically connected to the control unit 60 via a drive circuit (both are not shown).

The control unit 60 shown in FIG. 2 includes a CPU, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit (IC for a specific application)), and a storage unit 81 (memory) including a RAM and a non-volatile memory (both are not shown). .. The CPU controls various controls including print control by executing the control program stored in the storage unit 81. The control program includes the program PR shown in FIG. The program PR warms up the drying device 40 until the temperature rises to a target temperature within a predetermined temperature range used for drying the medium 99 after the printing device 11 is turned on and before the first printing operation is started. It is a program that executes a temperature adjustment sequence to perform an operation. This program PR includes, for example, the program shown in the flowchart in FIG. When the control unit 60 receives the first print command such as the first print job from the input unit 61 after the power is turned on, the control unit 60 executes the program PR read from the storage unit 81 to perform the temperature adjustment sequence. Then, the control unit 60 performs a warm-up operation of preheating the drying device 40 until the medium surface temperature detected by the temperature sensor 50 rises to a target temperature indicated in a predetermined temperature range by this temperature adjustment sequence.

Further, the control unit 60 includes a first counter 82 and a second counter 83 used in the temperature adjustment sequence. The first counter 82 performs a counting process for grasping a position (transport position) on the transport path of the medium 99. Further, when the waiting time is set as a condition for starting the transport of the medium 99 in the warm-up operation, the second counter 83 performs a timekeeping process for measuring the waiting time.

The control unit 60 receives a print job (print command). The print job (print command) is commanded by the user operating a host device (not shown) connected to the printing device 11 so as to be able to communicate with each other by wire or wirelessly, or an operation panel (not shown) included in the printing device 11. To. The print job includes various commands required for print control, print condition information related to print conditions such as a print mode specified by the user, and print image data. The control unit 60 grasps the print mode based on the print condition information in the print job received from the host device.

Here, the print modes include a high-speed print mode in which the print speed is prioritized over the print quality, a high-definition print mode (low-speed print mode) in which the print quality is prioritized over the print speed, and a print speed and printing in between. It includes a normal print mode (medium speed print mode) in which the quality is set. The print mode is one of the print condition information that defines the transport speed of the medium 99. The control unit 60 acquires the transport speed of the medium 99 in the print process based on the received print job based on the print mode.

The encoder 52 shown in FIG. 2 outputs a pulse signal including a number of pulses proportional to the rotation amount of the transfer motor 72, that is, the transfer amount of the medium 99 conveyed by the transfer roller 17. The control unit 60 includes a first counter 82 that counts, for example, the number of pulse edges based on the pulse signal input from the encoder 52. The first counter 82 is reset when the medium sensor 51 located at a predetermined position on the upstream side of the transport direction Y with respect to the print area PA inputs a detection signal when detecting the downstream tip of the medium 99. In the control unit 60, the direction (conveyance direction) in which the medium 99 is conveyed based on, for example, phase A and phase B pulse signals input from the encoder 52 is downstream of the transfer direction Y of the medium 99 (the direction in which the medium 99 is conveyed). It is determined whether it is the forward side (forward direction) or the upstream side (reverse direction). Then, the control unit 60 adds the count value of the first counter 82 by "1" if the transport direction is on the downstream side, and adds the count value of the first counter 82 to "1" if the transport direction is on the upstream side. "The counting process of subtracting each is performed. The control unit 60 determines the transport position on the transport path of the medium 99 with reference to the position when the tip of the medium 99 reaches the detected position of the medium sensor 51 (for example, the origin) from the count value of the first counter 82. grasp. The first counter 82 is realized by an electronic circuit built in the ASIC as an example, but may be configured by software.

Further, the control unit 60 controls the heating temperature of the heating element 43 by controlling the current value for energizing the heating element 43. Further, the control unit 60 controls the rotation speed of the fan motor 71. Further, the control unit 60 controls the rotation direction and the rotation speed of each of the motors 72 to 74 of the transport system. Further, the control unit 60 outputs the print image data included in the print job, discharges the liquid (for example, ink) to the print head 22, and causes the medium 99 to print an image or the like based on the print image data.

Next, the temperature distribution in the heating region HA of the drying device 40 will be described with reference to FIG. In the graph shown in FIG. 3, the horizontal axis is the transport position indicating the position of the transport direction Y in the medium 99, and the vertical axis is the medium surface temperature Ts. In FIG. 3, the horizontal axis is the transport direction Y in the left direction.

Further, in the graph shown in FIG. 3, the transport position H1 is a position facing the first heating element 43A, and the transport position H2 is a position facing the second heating element 43B. Further, the upstream end position of the heating region HA is the heating start position Hin (carry-in position), and the downstream end position of the heating region HA is the heating end position Hout (carry-out position).

As shown in FIG. 3, the temperature distribution in the heating region HA has two temperature peaks at two transport positions H1 and H2 facing the two heating elements 43A and 43B. The medium surface temperature Ts of the medium 99 whose heating is started from the heating start position Hin first becomes the first temperature peak at the transport position H1 facing the first heating element 43A, and then becomes the first temperature peak, and then the second heating element 43B. It becomes the second temperature peak at the transport position H2 facing the above. At the transport position H2, the region heated by the first heating element 43A is further heated by the second heating element 43B, so that the second temperature peak is higher than the first temperature peak. Therefore, the medium surface temperature Ts in the heating region HA becomes the maximum temperature at the transport position H2.

The detected region (reading position) of the temperature sensor 50 is the transport position H2 facing the second heating element 43B, and the temperature sensor 50 detects the maximum surface temperature of the medium 99 as the medium surface temperature Ts. Then, the drying device 40 is temperature-controlled by the control unit 60 so that the medium surface temperature Ts, which is the maximum temperature, becomes the target temperature Tp.

Further, in the graph shown in FIG. 3, the upper limit temperature TL is a limit heating temperature that does not cause heat damage to the medium 99. The target temperature Tp (maximum temperature) is set to a value less than the upper limit temperature TL. The target temperature Tp is set to a temperature lower than that based on the upper limit temperature TL according to the material of the medium 99. For example, when the medium 99 is paper, the upper limit temperature TL is set to a predetermined value in the range of, for example, 100 to 120 ° C. (110 ° C. as an example), and the target temperature Tp is set to a predetermined value in the range of, for example, 80 to 100 ° C. (example). 90 ° C.).

Further, the temperature rise profile of the medium surface temperature Ts when the medium 99 passes through the heating region HA depends on the transport speed of the medium 99. Even if the output of the drying device 40 is the same, if the transport speed of the medium 99 is different, the medium surface temperature Ts in the detected region H2 is different. Therefore, by detecting the surface temperature (medium surface temperature Ts) of the region on the medium 99 in the detected region H2 by using the temperature sensor 50, the control unit 60 controls the medium regardless of the transport speed of the medium 99. The temperature of the drying device 40 can be controlled so that the surface temperature Ts becomes the target temperature Tp. Therefore, the control unit 60 can align the medium surface temperature Ts with the target temperature Tp even if the transport speed of the medium 99 is different.

Here, in the warm-up operation described later, when the medium 99 is reciprocated including the transfer toward the downstream side (normal transfer) and the transfer toward the upstream side (reverse transfer), the same region on the medium 99 becomes the heating region HA. The total time of staying in the medium 99 becomes long, and it is possible that a part of the region on the medium 99 that is not a detection target of the temperature sensor 50 exceeds the target temperature Tp. However, if the surface temperature of the medium 99 is equal to or lower than the upper limit temperature TL, the possibility that the medium 99 will be thermally damaged is reduced. Therefore, even if the total time that the medium 99 stays in the heating region HA becomes long in the warm-up operation, the downstream tip portion (for example, a value within the range of 50 to 200 cm) of the medium 99 used as the target of the warm-up operation. If the surface temperature does not exceed the upper limit temperature TL even temporarily, the medium 99 can be prevented from being damaged by heat damage. In consideration of this point, the range (reciprocating transport length) and the total heating time for reciprocating the medium 99 are set on condition that the surface temperature does not exceed the upper limit temperature TL in the entire heating target region of the medium 99. is doing. For example, the medium 99 having thermocouples for temperature measurement attached to the surface of the medium 99 at different positions in the transport direction Y is transported in the forward and reverse directions, and the surface temperature of the medium 99 is the upper limit temperature TL at all of the plurality of measurement points. The transport conditions (reciprocating transport length, total heating time, etc.) that do not exceed the above are determined, and the transport control of the medium 99 in the warm-up operation is performed within the range of the determined transport conditions.

The control unit 60 shown in FIG. 2 uses the drying device 40 until the medium surface temperature Ts (detection temperature) based on the detection signal of the temperature sensor 50 rises to a target temperature and stabilizes at a value within a predetermined temperature range. Performs a warm-up operation for preheating by temperature control. Here, the predetermined temperature range is set to "Tp ± α ° C." using the allowable value α with respect to the target temperature Tp. In the control unit 60, the detection temperature (medium surface temperature Ts) of the temperature sensor 50 stays within the predetermined temperature range (Tp ± α ° C.) for a predetermined time (for example, a value within the range of 2 to 20 seconds). For example, it is determined that the surface temperature Ts of the medium 99 has reached the target temperature. The control unit 60 also includes a time counter (not shown) for measuring this predetermined time.

Next, the warm-up operation will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 9. FIG. 4 shows a set position in which the user sets the medium 99 before the start of printing. The user passes the medium 99 drawn from the roll body R1 (see FIG. 1) via the transport roller 17. Then, the user positions the downstream end portion 99a (tip) of the medium 99 at the set position A which is downstream of the heating region HA of the drying device 40 by a predetermined length along the support surface 13C of the transport table 31. Set to do. The set position A may be any position as long as the region on the medium 99 is in the detected region of the temperature sensor 50 and the medium surface temperature Ts can be detected. For example, the set position may be set at a position between the set position A and the detected area H2 shown in FIG. If the user gives a print instruction, the control unit 60 that receives the print command conveys the medium 99 until the downstream end 99a of the medium 99 reaches the set position A. The medium 99 can also be set so that the end portion 99a on the downstream side of the medium 99 is located on the upstream side of the drying device 40.

The control unit 60 starts a warm-up operation in which the temperature of the drying device 40 is controlled to raise the medium surface temperature Ts to a predetermined temperature range. The medium 99 is conveyed in a predetermined range RA where it is located. That is, in the warm-up operation, the end portion 99a on the downstream side of the medium 99 conveys the medium 99 in a predetermined range RA (see FIG. 7) located on the downstream side of the detected region H2 by the temperature sensor 50. In a predetermined range in which the downstream end 99a of the medium 99 is located downstream of the detected region H2, the medium 99 is always located in the detected region H2, and the temperature sensor 50 can always detect the medium 99.

The control unit 60 starts the warm-up operation when it receives a print command (print job or the like) instructing the print process. When the control unit 60 detects that the medium surface temperature Ts has risen to a predetermined temperature range based on the detection temperature of the temperature sensor 50, the control unit 60 ends the warm-up operation. Further, after the warm-up operation is completed, the control unit 60 conveys the downstream end 99a of the medium 99 to the upstream side of the heating region HA while maintaining the output of the drying device 40 within a predetermined range. Specifically, the control unit 60 conveys the medium 99 to the upstream side until the end portion 99a on the downstream side thereof reaches the printing start position P1 shown in FIG. Then, when the control unit 60 conveys the medium 99 until the end portion 99a is positioned at the print start position P1 as an example of a predetermined position on the upstream side of the heating region HA, the control unit 60 starts the printing process as an example of the predetermined process. ..

Further, the condition for starting the transport of the medium 99 in the warm-up operation (media transport start condition) may be set in advance by the control unit 60. For example, there are the following two methods for setting the medium transfer start condition. One is a method of setting the medium surface temperature Ts detected by the temperature sensor 50 as the medium transfer start condition. In this case, a specific temperature Tc lower than a predetermined temperature range which is a target temperature by the warm-up operation is set in advance, and the control unit 60 conveys the medium 99 in the warm-up operation when the medium surface temperature Ts is equal to or higher than the specific temperature Tc. To start. Another method is to set the elapsed time from the start of the warm-up operation as the medium transport start condition. In this case, the control unit 60 starts transporting the medium 99 in the warm-up operation after a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of the warm-up operation.

Further, it is desirable that the control unit 60 transports the medium 99 in the warm-up operation at least at a speed based on a print command (print job or the like). That is, of the transport of the medium 99 in the warm-up operation, one transport is at a speed corresponding to the transport speed of the medium 99 applied to the printing process in the print mode specified by the print command (print job, etc.). It is preferably carried. In this example, the control unit 60 transports the medium 99 at the same transport speed as the transport speed in the print mode specified by the print job. Specifically, when the print mode specified in the print job is the high-speed print mode, the control unit 60 conveys the medium 99 at the transfer speed Vh corresponding to the high-speed print mode. When the print mode specified by the print job is the normal print mode, the control unit 60 transports the medium 99 at a transport speed Vm corresponding to the normal print mode. Further, when the print mode specified by the print job is the high-definition print mode, the control unit 60 conveys the medium 99 at the transfer speed Vl corresponding to the high-definition print mode. Here, each transport speed Vh, Vm, Vl has a magnitude relationship of Vh> Vm> Vl. In this embodiment, three print modes are prepared and three types of transport speeds corresponding to the print modes are shown. However, more print modes are prepared and the medium 99 applied to the print process is used. The transport speed may be higher than the three types. Also in this case, the medium 99 in the warm-up operation is conveyed at a speed corresponding to the transfer speed corresponding to the print mode specified in the print job. Further, the printing mode may be 2 types or 1 type, and the transport speed of the medium 99 applied to the printing process may be 2 types or 1 type.

As the transport of the medium 99 in the warm-up operation, the control unit 60 performs transport toward the downstream side (first transport) and transport toward the upstream side opposite to the downstream side (second transport). That is, in the warm-up operation, the control unit 60 moves the medium 99 toward the downstream side in a state where the end portion 99a on the downstream side of the medium 99 is located within the range RA located on the downstream side of the detected region H2. Reciprocating transport (forward / reverse transport) including one transport (forward transport) and a second transport (reverse transport) toward the upstream side is performed. The control unit 60 determines whether the transport direction in which the medium 99 is transported is the downstream side or the upstream side, and stores the determination result of the transport direction as a flag value in the storage unit 81.

The method of reciprocating transport of the medium 99 includes the first example shown in (A) FIG. 5 and the second example shown in FIG. 6 (B) below, depending on the difference in the range of reciprocating transport of the medium 99. There are two cases.
(A) In the transport of the medium 99 in the warm-up operation, the control unit 60 sets the region on the medium 99 located at the upstream end portion (for example, the heating start position Hin) of the heating region HA at a predetermined timing as the heating region HA (A). That is, it is conveyed to a position downstream of the heating end position Hout). As shown in FIG. 5, the region on the medium 99 located at the upstream end of the heating region HA at the timing when the downstream end 99a of the medium 99 is at the set position A (transport start position in the warm-up operation). The control unit 60 conveys the heat to a position downstream of the heating region HA. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, in the medium 99, the end portion 99a is downstream from the detected region H2 from the state where the end portion 99a on the downstream side thereof is in the set position A located on the downstream side of the heating region HA. It is transported to a state where it is located at the target position B, which is the limit position on the downstream side of the reciprocating range RA located on the side. The transport length (length between the set position A and the target position B in the transport path) F1 indicating the length at which the medium 99 is transported when the end portion 99a moves from the set position A to the target position B is The length of the heated region HA in the transport direction Y is longer than the length FH (F1> FH). As a result, the entire region on the medium 99 in the heating region HA when the end portion 99a is in the set position A temporarily exits the heating region HA. Further, the length of the reciprocating range RA shown in FIG. 7 is longer than the length FH of the heating region HA. Therefore, even when the medium 99 is reciprocated within the reciprocating range RA, the entire region on the medium 99 in the heating region HA temporarily goes out of the heating region HA at the timing of switching the transport direction of the medium 99. For example, the fact that the temperature distribution shown in FIG. 3 is relatively uniform and is in the heating region HA itself is particularly effective when it leads to damage due to heat damage. The target position B, which is the limit position on the downstream side of the reciprocating range RA, is preferably set to a range in which the end portion 99a on the downstream side of the medium 99 does not come into contact with the floor surface.

(B) The control unit 60 is on the medium 99 at the position H2 where the medium surface temperature Ts becomes the highest during heating when the transfer of the medium 99 to the downstream side of the medium 99 is started in the transfer of the medium 99 in the warm-up operation. Is transported to a position outside the heating region HA. As shown in FIG. 6, in the warm-up operation, the medium 99 is located on the downstream side of the reciprocating range RA in which the end portion 99a on the downstream side is located on the downstream side of the detected region H2 from the state where the end portion 99a on the downstream side is in the set position A. It is transported to the target position B, which is the limit position of. The transport length (length between the set position A and the target position B in the transport path) F2 indicating the length at which the medium 99 is transported when the end portion 99a moves from the set position A to the target position B is defined as F2. The length of the heated region HA in the transport direction Y is shorter than the length FH (F2 <FH). Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the transport length F2 is longer than the distance L1 between the position H2 at which the maximum temperature is reached and the downstream end position of the heating region HA (heating end position Hout shown in FIG. 2) (F2). > L1). As a result, the control unit 60 deviates from the heating region HA the region on the medium 99 at the position H2 where the medium surface temperature Ts becomes the highest during heating when the transport to the downstream side of the medium 99 is started. Transport to position. Further, the length of the reciprocating range RA shown in FIG. 7 is longer than the distance L1 shown in FIG. Therefore, even when the medium 99 is reciprocated, the region on the medium 99 at the maximum temperature position H2 is once transported out of the heating region HA at the timing of switching the transport direction of the medium 99 from the upstream side to the downstream side. To. In this case, the transport length F2 shown in FIG. 6 is shorter than the transport length F1 shown in FIG. For example, the temperature distribution shown in FIG. 3 has a relatively large temperature peak, the temperature difference between the minimum temperature and the maximum temperature in the heating region HA is large, and if the temperature peak is avoided even in the heating region HA, it is due to the heat damage of the medium 99. It is especially effective when it is easy to avoid damage.

Further, in the transport of the medium 99 in the warm-up operation, the control unit 60 has a second transport speed V2 in the second transport toward the upstream side, which is higher than the first transport speed V1 in the first transport toward the downstream side. Here, the first transport speed V1 is a speed corresponding to the transport speed of the medium 99 in the printing process. In particular, in this example, the first transport speed V1 is the same as the transport speed of the medium 99 in the printing process, and the first transport speed V1 corresponds to the speed corresponding to the print mode specified by the print command. In this example, the second transport speed V2 is larger than the first transport speed V1, but the first transport speed V1 and the second transport speed V2 may be the same speed, and the second transport speed V1 is higher than the first transport speed V1. The speed V2 may be small.

Next, the operation of the printing device 11 provided with the drying device 40 will be described. The user first turns on the power of the printing device 11. When the power is turned on, the control unit 60 reads the program PR from the storage unit 81 and executes the program PR. The user sets the medium 99 in the printing device 11 before instructing the printing device 11 to print. The user sets the medium 99 drawn from the roll body R1 through the transport roller 17 and the heating region HA so that the end portion 99a on the downstream side thereof is in the set position A. In this set state, the downstream end 99a of the medium 99 is located downstream of the detected region H2 in the heating region HA, and the medium 99 is located in the detected region of the temperature sensor 50. Therefore, the temperature sensor 50 can detect the medium surface temperature Ts even when the medium 99 is stopped at the set position A at the start of the warm-up operation.

After setting the medium 99 in this way, the user then operates a host device or an operation panel (not shown) to select image data to be printed, set necessary printing conditions, and then instruct to start printing. .. The control unit 60 in the printing device 11 receives, for example, a printing command such as a printing job instructed by the user from the host device.

Hereinafter, the temperature adjustment sequence executed by the control unit 60 based on the program PR will be described with reference to FIG. 10.
First, in step S11, the control unit 60 determines whether or not the print command has been accepted. If the control unit 60 receives the print command, the process proceeds to step S12, and if the print command is not received, the control unit 60 ends the routine.

In step S12, the control unit 60 starts the warm-up operation. That is, the control unit 60 starts heating the heating element 43 and also starts driving the fan 48.
In step S13, the control unit 60 performs heating control based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor. In the heating control, one of the following three control methods is adopted. The first is a method of controlling the rotation speed (wind speed) of the fan 48 while keeping the energizing current of the heating element 43 constant, and the second is both the energizing current of the heating element 43 and the rotation speed (wind speed) of the fan 48. The third method is to control the energization current of the heating element 43 while keeping the rotation speed (wind speed) of the fan 48 constant. In the heating control, the control unit 60 performs feedback control to bring the medium surface temperature Ts detected by the temperature sensor 50 closer to the target value according to the preset temperature rise profile, and sets the medium surface temperature Ts to a predetermined temperature which is the target temperature. Temperature control is performed to raise the temperature to a range (Tp ± α ° C). This heating control is performed as one of the warm-up operations. For example, in the graph shown in FIG. 3, when the warm-up operation is started, the temperature distribution of the heating region HA of the drying device 40 is before heating, so that the room temperature is uniformly RT as shown by the two-dot chain line in the graph. .. Then, in this step, the heating control is executed every predetermined control cycle, so that the medium surface temperature Ts in the detected region H2 in the heating region HA is a predetermined temperature range (Tp ± α ° C.) which is the target temperature. ) Is raised. In the graph of FIG. 3, the solid line shows a state in which the medium surface temperature Ts in the detected region H2 reaches a predetermined temperature range (Tp ± α ° C.) which is a target temperature.

In step S14, the control unit 60 determines whether or not the medium transfer start condition is satisfied. Here, the medium transport start condition is a condition for starting the transport of the medium 99 in the warm-up operation. Although it is not essential to set the medium transfer start condition, it is preferably adopted from the viewpoint of power saving and the like, and there are the following two conditions.

The first condition is that the medium surface temperature Ts detected by the temperature sensor 50 is equal to or higher than a specific threshold value. In the control under this condition, the control unit 60 conveys the medium 99 in the warm-up operation when the medium surface temperature Ts detected by the temperature sensor 50 is equal to or higher than the specific temperature Tc. The specific temperature Tc is a temperature lower than the lower limit Tp−α ° C. of a predetermined temperature range and higher than the room temperature RT (RT <Tc <Tp−α). Therefore, even if the medium 99 is heated by the drying device 40, the medium 99 is not conveyed in the warm-up operation before the medium surface temperature Ts reaches the specific temperature Tc, and after the medium surface temperature Ts reaches the specific temperature Tc, The medium 99 is conveyed in the warm-up operation. The control unit 60 sequentially acquires the medium surface temperature Ts detected by the temperature sensor 50. Then, the control unit 60 determines that the medium transfer start condition is not satisfied if the medium surface temperature Ts is lower than the specific temperature Tc, and if the medium surface temperature Ts is equal to or higher than the specific temperature Tc, the medium transfer start condition is Judge that it was established.

The second condition is that the elapsed time from the start of the warm-up operation is a predetermined time or longer. In the control under this condition, the control unit 60 transports the medium 99 in the warm-up operation after a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of the warm-up operation. The time set as the predetermined time is, for example, the time estimated by preliminary experiment or calculation that the medium surface temperature Ts reaches a temperature (Tp−α−Δβ) lower than the lower limit temperature by a predetermined temperature Δβ. The predetermined time in this example is set to, for example, a time between 1 and 5 minutes. For example, it is preferable to set the time within the range of 10 to 80% of the time required to reach the target temperature. Further, it is preferable to set the time required to reach the temperature obtained by adding a predetermined temperature difference within the range of 10 to 80% of the temperature difference ΔT from the start temperature (for example, room temperature) to the target temperature to the start temperature. .. The control unit 60 measures the elapsed time from the start of the warm-up operation (for example, the start of heating) by the second counter 83. Then, the control unit 60 determines that the medium transfer start condition is not satisfied if the elapsed time measured by the second counter is shorter than the predetermined time, and if the elapsed time is equal to or longer than the predetermined time, the medium transfer start condition is set. Judge that it was established.

If the medium transfer start condition is not satisfied (negative determination in step S14), the process returns to step S13, and the control unit 60 continues heating control based on the detection temperature (media surface temperature Ts) of the temperature sensor 50.

Then, the control unit 60 repeatedly executes the process of step S13 until the medium transfer start condition is satisfied in step S14. Therefore, until the medium transfer start condition is satisfied, the temperature control of the drying device 40 for raising the medium surface temperature Ts to the target temperature is advanced while the medium 99 is stopped at the set position shown in FIG. By heating the region on the medium 99 located in the heating region HA, the medium surface temperature Ts gradually rises.

When the medium surface temperature Ts detected by the temperature sensor 50 is set as a condition of being equal to or higher than a specific threshold value, the control unit 60 detects that the medium surface temperature Ts is equal to or higher than the specific temperature Tc. It is determined that the medium transfer start condition is satisfied (affirmative determination in step S14). Further, when the elapsed time from the start of the warm-up operation is set as a condition of the predetermined time or more, when the predetermined time elapses from the start of the warm-up operation, the control unit 60 satisfies the medium transport start condition. (Affirmative determination in step S14). Then, if the control unit 60 determines that the medium transfer start condition is satisfied (affirmative determination in step S14), the control unit 60 proceeds to step S15. If the media transfer start condition is not set, step S15 is performed at the same time as the start of the warm-up operation.

In step S15, the control unit 60 determines the transport direction. The control unit 60 determines, for example, whether the transport direction is the downstream side or the upstream side based on the value of the flag of the storage unit 81. The control unit 60 proceeds to step S16 if the transport direction is on the upstream side, and proceeds to step S18 if the transport direction is on the downstream side. In this example, at the stage before the start of transport of the medium 99 in the warm-up operation, the initial value of the flag is a value indicating the downstream side (for example, “1”). Therefore, the control unit 60 proceeds to step S16.

In step S16, the control unit 60 transports the medium 99 toward the downstream side at the first transport speed. In the present embodiment, the transport speed of the medium 99 in the first transport in which the medium 99 is transported toward the downstream side is different from the transport speed of the medium 99 in the second transport in which the medium 99 is conveyed toward the upstream side. When the downstream end portion 99a of the medium 99 is reciprocally transported in the range RA (see FIG. 7) located on the downstream side of the detected region H2, the first transport toward the downstream side is changed to the second transport toward the upstream side. Immediately before switching, the region that has exited the downstream side from the heating region HA immediately enters the heating region HA due to the switching to the second transport, and reaches the maximum temperature region again. When the second transfer is performed at the same relatively low first transfer rate V1 (speed corresponding to the transfer speed of the medium 99 in the printing process) as the first transfer, an excessively heated region is generated on the medium 99. There is a risk. Therefore, the second transport speed V2 at the time of the second transport is set to a speed higher than the first transport speed V1 at the time of the first transport (V1 <V2), and the medium 99 is at the maximum temperature during the second transport. Passes the position H2 at high speed. Therefore, the thermal damage of the medium 99 can be reduced by the difference between the first transport speed and the second transport speed. In this case, the downstream end portion 99a of the medium 99 is conveyed to the return position C at high speed by the second transfer (reverse transfer), and the medium is conveyed at the first transfer speed V1 corresponding to the transfer speed of the medium 99 in the printing process. It is preferable to determine whether or not the target temperature has been reached in the process of the first transport (normal transport) for transporting 99.

In step S17, the control unit 60 determines whether or not the downstream end portion 99a of the medium 99 has reached the target position B shown in FIG. 5 or FIG. Here, the transport position of the medium 99 is grasped from the count value of the first counter 82 that counts the pulse edge of the pulse signal from the encoder 52. The control unit 60 determines whether or not the downstream end 99a of the medium 99 has reached the target position B based on the transport position grasped from the count value of the first counter 82. The control unit 60 proceeds to step S21 if the end portion 99a has not reached the target position B, and proceeds to step S20 if the end portion 99a reaches the target position B.

Therefore, during the first transport in which the medium 99 is transported toward the downstream side, it is determined in step S21 whether or not the target temperature has been reached, and then the process returns to step S13, and the processes of steps S13 to S17 and S21 are performed. repeat. In this way, the control unit 60 conveys the medium 99 toward the downstream side until the medium surface temperature Ts reaches the target temperature (S21) or the end portion 99a of the medium 99 reaches the target position B. Then, when the control unit 60 determines in step S17 that the end portion 99a of the medium 99 has reached the target position B, the control unit 60 proceeds to step S20.

In step S20, the control unit 60 switches the transport direction. The control unit 60 switches the rotation of the motors 72 and 73 of the transport system from normal rotation to reverse rotation, and switches the transport direction from the downstream side to the upstream side. At this time, the control unit 60 changes the flag of the storage unit 81 from the value on the downstream side (for example, “1”) to the value on the upstream side (for example, “0”).

If the medium surface temperature Ts does not reach the target temperature even when the medium 99 reaches the target position B (negative determination in S21), the process returns to step S13 to continue the heating control, and the medium transfer start condition is set in step S14. Since it is being established, the process proceeds to step S15. Then, in step S15, the control unit 60 determines from the value of the flag of the storage unit 81 that the transport direction is the upstream side, and therefore proceeds to step S18.

In step S18, the control unit 60 controls the motors 72 and 73 to reverse-transport the medium 99 toward the upstream side at the second transfer speed. The control unit 60 thus switches the transport direction of the medium 99 at the target positions B shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, and then reverse transports the medium 99 toward the upstream side to the return position C.

In step S19, the control unit 60 determines whether or not the downstream end 99a of the medium 99 has reached the return position C shown in FIG. 7 as a result of the reverse transfer of the medium 99. Specifically, the control unit 60 determines whether or not the downstream end 99a of the medium 99 has reached the return position C based on the transport position grasped from the count value of the first counter 82. The control unit 60 proceeds to step S21 if the end portion 99a has not reached the return position C, and proceeds to step S20 if the end portion 99a reaches the return position C.

Therefore, during the second transport in which the medium 99 is transported toward the upstream side, it is determined in step S21 whether or not the target temperature has been reached, and then the process returns to step S13, and steps S13 to S15, S18, S19, S21. Repeat each process of. In this way, the control unit 60 heads the medium 99 upstream until the medium surface temperature Ts reaches the target temperature (affirmative judgment in S21) or the end portion 99a of the medium 99 reaches the return position C (positive judgment in S19). And transport. Then, when the control unit 60 determines in step S19 that the end portion 99a of the medium 99 has reached the return position C, the control unit 60 proceeds to step S20. In this example, when a negative determination is made in step S19, the control unit 60 proceeds to step S21, but as described above, it is determined whether or not the control unit 60 has reached the target temperature. The configuration may be performed only in the process of the first transfer (normal transfer) in which the medium 99 is conveyed at the first transfer speed V1. In this case, when a negative determination is made in step S19, the control unit 60 returns to step S18 and continues the second transfer.

In step S20, the control unit 60 switches the transport direction. The control unit 60 switches the rotation of the motors 72 and 73 of the transport system from reverse rotation to forward rotation, and switches the transport direction from the upstream side to the downstream side. At this time, the control unit 60 changes the flag from the upstream value (for example, “0”) to the downstream value (for example, “1”).

If the medium surface temperature Ts does not reach the target temperature even when the medium 99 reaches the return position C (negative determination in S21), the process returns to step S13 to continue the heating control, and the medium transfer start condition is set in step S14. Since it is being established, the process proceeds to step S15. Then, in step S15, the control unit 60 determines from the value of the flag that the transport direction is on the downstream side, so that the process proceeds to step S17, and the medium 99 is directed toward the downstream side at the target position B at the first transport speed V1. Transport to.

In this way, the control unit 60 repeats the first transport for transporting the medium 99 toward the downstream side and the second transport for transporting the medium 99 toward the upstream side in the same manner thereafter. As a result, as shown in FIG. 7, the medium 99 is conveyed in the transport direction in the range RA where the downstream end 99a of the medium 99 is located on the downstream side of the detected region H2, that is, in the range between positions B to C. Reciprocate to Y.

While the medium 99 is reciprocated, the control unit 60 continues heating control, and the medium surface temperature Ts rises to reach the target temperature. The control unit 60 determines that the target temperature has been reached when the medium surface temperature Ts remains in the predetermined temperature range (Tp ± α ° C.) for a predetermined time. Then, when the control unit 60 determines that the medium surface temperature Ts has reached the target temperature, the control unit 60 proceeds to step S22. At this time, a temperature distribution as shown by the solid line in FIG. 3 is formed in the heated region HA.

In step S22, the control unit 60 maintains the output of the drying device 40 and ends the warm-up operation. That is, the control unit 60 maintains the control amount used for temperature control of the drying device 40 at the value when the target temperature is reached, thereby maintaining the output of the drying device 40 within a predetermined range. Examples of the control amount used by the control unit 60 include a current current value of the heating element 43 and a current command value that determines the rotation speed of the fan motor 71 that is the power source of the fan 48. By maintaining the output of the drying device 40 at the output when the medium surface temperature Ts reaches the target temperature, the heating temperature of the heating element 43 is maintained and the rotation speed of the fan motor 71 is maintained in this example. By maintaining the output of the drying device 40, when the medium 99 is subsequently transported in the heating region HA at the first transport speed V1 during the printing process, the medium surface temperature Ts of the medium 99 is the target temperature (Tp ± α ° C.). ) Can be heated.

In step S23, the control unit 60 reversely conveys the medium to the printing start position. That is, the control unit 60 reversely drives the motors 72 and 73 of the transport system to reverse transport the medium 99. The control unit 60 reversely conveys the end portion 99a until the end portion 99a is located at the print start position P1 (cueing position) shown in FIG. 8, and positions the end portion 99a at the print start position P1.

In step S24, the control unit 60 starts printing. That is, the control unit 60 starts printing based on the previously received print command (print job or the like). When the print head 22 discharges the liquid toward the medium 99, an image or the like based on the printed image data is printed on the medium 99. At this time, when the printing mechanism 21 is a serial printing method, the printing apparatus 11 alternately performs a printing operation for one scan and a conveying operation to the next printing position of the medium 99, and the medium 99 is in the conveying direction Y. It is intermittently transported by a predetermined transport amount toward the downstream side. The transport speed at this time is a speed corresponding to the first transport speed V1 during the warm-up operation (for example, speed V1). When the printing mechanism 21 is a line printing method, the medium 99 is conveyed at a constant speed according to the printing mode. The transport speed at this time is a speed corresponding to the first transport speed V1 during the warm-up operation (for example, speed V1).

Then, the printed medium 99 is conveyed along the support surface 13C (transport surface) of the transfer table 31 at a position downstream of the printing unit 20. In the process of being conveyed along the support surface 13C, the medium 99 passes through the heating region HA of the drying device 40. Here, from the end of the warm-up operation to the time when the medium 99 is carried in, the drying device 40 is maintained at the output when the target temperature obtained as a result of the warm-up operation is reached. Therefore, even if the medium 99 is reversely conveyed to the printing start position P1 and the medium 99 disappears from the detected region H2 of the temperature sensor 50, and the temperature sensor 50 detects the region on the support surface 13C. The drying device 40 is maintained at an output suitable for drying the medium 99. Therefore, the medium 99 is heated until the medium surface temperature Ts reaches a predetermined temperature range (Tp ± α ° C.), which is the target temperature, or a temperature suitable for drying in the process of passing through the heating region HA of the drying device 40. ..

Then, after the downstream end 99a of the medium 99 reaches the detected region H2 of the temperature sensor 50 after the printing is started, the control unit 60 resumes the temperature control of the drying device 40. Therefore, during printing, the medium surface temperature Ts is maintained within a predetermined temperature range (Tp ± α ° C.), which is the target temperature. At this time, the temperature of the drying device 40 is controlled so that the surface temperature Ts of the medium 99 to which the liquid is attached is maintained within a predetermined temperature range (Tp ± α ° C.) of the target temperature. In the heating region HA, evaporation of the liquid (ink) adhering to or permeating the medium 99 is promoted by the radiant heat from the heating element 43 and the heating airflow (warm air) blown out from the outlet 46b. As a result, the medium 99 is effectively dried in the process of transporting the heated region HA. After the start of printing, the downstream end portion of the medium 99 that has been dried hangs vertically downward from the downstream end of the transport table 31. When the user winds the downstream end portion of the hanging medium 99 around a core material (not shown) mounted on the second rotating shaft 16, the medium 99 is subsequently wound up as a roll body R2.

According to the embodiment described in detail above, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) The printing device 11 (an example of a medium processing device) includes a transport mechanism 14 (an example of a transport section) for transporting the medium 99, a drying device 40 (an example of a heating section) for heating the medium 99, and a drying device 40. It is provided with a temperature sensor 50 that detects the surface temperature Ts of the medium 99 in the heating region HA, and a control unit 60 that controls the drying device 40 based on the medium surface temperature Ts detected by the temperature sensor 50. The control unit 60 controls the drying device 40 to start a warm-up operation for raising the medium surface temperature Ts to a predetermined temperature range, and in the warm-up operation, the medium 99 is located in the detected region H2 by the temperature sensor 50. The medium 99 is conveyed in the range RA. That is, the control unit 60 conveys the medium 99 in a predetermined range RA in which the end portion 99a on the downstream side in the transport direction Y in the medium 99 is located on the downstream side of the detected region H2 by the temperature sensor 50 in the warm-up operation. Therefore, in the warm-up operation of preheating the drying device 40 to a temperature suitable for heating the medium 99, the drying device 40 based on the surface temperature of the medium 99 is prevented from being damaged by the heat damage of the medium 99 used as the heating target. The temperature can be controlled appropriately.

(2) When the control unit 60 receives a print command (an example of a process command) instructing a print process (an example of a predetermined process), the control unit 60 starts a warm-up operation and the medium surface temperature Ts rises to a predetermined temperature range. When it is detected, the warm-up operation is terminated and the printing process is started. Therefore, when the user instructs the print process, the control unit 60 that has received the print command starts the warm-up operation. The control unit 60 controls the temperature of the drying device 40, and when the medium surface temperature Ts rises to a predetermined temperature range, the warm-up operation is terminated and the printing process is started. Therefore, if the user instructs the printing process, the printing process on the medium 99 can be started when the drying device 40 is in a state where the medium surface temperature Ts can be heated to an appropriate predetermined temperature range.

(3) The transport of the medium 99 in the warm-up operation includes the transport of the medium 99 at a speed corresponding to the transport speed of the medium 99 in the printing process. Therefore, in the warm-up operation, the medium 99 is conveyed at a speed corresponding to the transfer speed of the medium 99 in the subsequent printing process (for example, the same speed V1). Therefore, when the printing process is performed, the medium 99 can be heated to an appropriate medium surface temperature Ts by the drying device 40. Therefore, regardless of the transport speed of the medium 99 in the printing process, the accuracy of the medium surface temperature Ts is improved by suppressing the variation in temperature when the medium surface temperature Ts reaches a predetermined temperature range, and the medium 99 is used. Can be dried properly.

(4) After the warm-up operation is completed, the control unit 60 conveys the downstream end 99a of the medium 99 to the upstream side of the heating region HA while maintaining the output of the drying device 40 within a predetermined range. After the transfer to the upstream side from the heating region HA is completed, the printing process is started. Therefore, even if the medium 99 is retracted from the detected region H2 of the temperature sensor 50 after the warm-up operation is completed, the output of the drying device 40 is maintained within a predetermined range when the medium surface temperature Ts reaches the target temperature. Will be done. As a result, it is possible to prevent malfunction due to improper temperature control of the drying device 40, such as temperature control of the drying device 40 based on the surface temperature of the support surface 13C.

(5) The control unit 60 conveys the medium 99 in the warm-up operation when the medium surface temperature Ts detected by the temperature sensor 50 is equal to or higher than the specific temperature Tc lower than the predetermined temperature range. That is, even if the medium 99 is heated by the drying device 40, the medium 99 is not conveyed in the warm-up operation before the medium surface temperature Ts reaches the specific temperature Tc, and the warm-up operation is performed after the medium surface temperature Ts reaches the specific temperature Tc. The medium 99 is transported in the above. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the amount of the medium 99 conveyed in the warm-up operation and contribute to power saving. In this case, since the transfer start timing of the medium 99 is determined based on the detection temperature (actual temperature) of the temperature sensor 50 that is not affected by the external environment, the transfer start timing is different from the configuration in which the transfer start timing of the medium 99 is determined by the standby time, for example. It is possible to avoid being too early or too late, and it is possible to realize a power saving effect and highly accurate temperature control. Further, for example, the medium 99 being conveyed tends to be lifted from the support surface 13C by receiving wind according to the transport speed, and the floating may cause a detection error of the medium surface temperature Ts by the temperature sensor 50. However, since the medium 99 is basically stopped in a state of being located in the detected region H2 until the medium surface temperature Ts reaches the specific temperature Tc, it is easy to eliminate the influence of the temperature detection error due to the floating of the medium 99.

(6) The control unit 60 conveys the medium 99 in the warm-up operation after a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of the warm-up operation. That is, before a predetermined time elapses from the start of the warm-up operation, the medium 99 in the warm-up operation is not conveyed, and after the predetermined time elapses, the medium 99 in the warm-up operation is conveyed. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the amount of the medium 99 conveyed in the warm-up operation and contribute to power saving. Further, for example, the medium 99 being conveyed tends to be lifted from the support surface 13C by receiving wind according to the transport speed, and the floating may cause a detection error of the medium surface temperature Ts by the temperature sensor 50. However, since the medium 99 is basically stopped in a state of being located in the detected region H2 until a predetermined time elapses, it is easy to eliminate the influence of the temperature detection error due to the floating of the medium 99.

(7) The control unit 60 carries out the transport toward the downstream side and the transport toward the upstream side opposite to the downstream side as the transport of the medium 99 in the warm-up operation. Therefore, the length of the portion of the medium 99 conveyed by the warm-up operation to be heated by the drying device 40 can be kept short. Further, since the transport toward the upstream side is included, the transport amount (for example, the cue transport amount) in which the medium 99 is transported toward the upstream side to the printing start position P1 after the warm-up operation is completed can be relatively shortened. The frequency increases. Therefore, the average required time from the end of the warm-up operation until the medium 99 reaches the printing start position P1 and starts printing can be relatively shortened. As a result, it contributes to the improvement of printing throughput.

(8) The control unit 60 performs transport toward at least the downstream side at a speed corresponding to the transport speed at the time of printing processing (for example, speed V1). Therefore, since the transport toward the downstream side, which is the transport direction of the medium during the print process, is performed at a speed corresponding to the transport speed during the print process, the temperature of the drying device 40 is set to a temperature suitable for heat treatment of the medium 99 during the print process. Can be controlled. In particular, in the present embodiment, the second transport speed V2 in the transport toward the upstream side is larger than the first transport speed V1 in the transport toward the downstream side. Therefore, even if the region just out of the heating region HA in the transport toward the downstream side switches to the transport toward the upstream side and immediately enters the heating region HA, the medium 99 has the first transport speed at that time. Since the medium 99 is transported upstream at a second transport speed V2, which is higher than V1, it is possible to prevent damage to the region of the medium 99 due to heat damage.

(9) The control unit 60 is located at the position H2 where the medium surface temperature Ts becomes the highest during the heating of the drying device 40 when the transfer of the medium 99 to the downstream side of the medium 99 is started in the transfer of the medium 99 in the warm-up operation. The region on the medium 99 is conveyed to a position outside the heating region HA. Therefore, even if the transport toward the downstream side and the transport toward the upstream side of the medium 99 are performed, the region on the medium 99 at the position H2 where the medium surface temperature Ts becomes the highest is once outside the heating region HA. After coming out and being cooled to a certain temperature, it will re-enter the heating region HA by switching the transport direction, so that damage due to heat damage of a part of the medium 99 can be effectively prevented.

(10) In the transport of the medium 99 in the warm-up operation, the control unit 60 transports the region of the medium 99 located at the upstream end of the heating region HA to a position downstream of the heating region HA at a predetermined timing. do. Therefore, at a predetermined timing, all the regions on the medium 99 in the heating region HA temporarily go out of the heating region HA. Therefore, since all the regions on the medium 99 heated by the drying device 40 are once cooled to a certain temperature, damage due to heat damage of the medium 99 can be prevented more effectively.

(11) In the control method of the printing device 11 (an example of the medium processing device), the heating control of the drying device 40 is started to start the warm-up operation for raising the medium surface temperature Ts to a predetermined temperature range. During this warm-up operation, the medium 99 is conveyed in the range RA where the end portion 99a on the downstream side of the medium 99 is located on the downstream side of the detected region H2 by the temperature sensor 50. Therefore, in the warm-up operation, the temperature of the drying device 40 can be controlled to an appropriate temperature while suppressing damage due to heat damage of the medium 99.

The above embodiment may be modified as in the modification shown below. The configuration included in the above embodiment and the configuration included in the following modification example may be arbitrarily combined, or the configurations included in the following modification example may be arbitrarily combined.

In the warm-up operation, the medium 99 may be continuously conveyed to the downstream side in the conveying direction Y. That is, in the warm-up operation, the medium 99 may not be transported toward the upstream side in the transport direction Y. In this case, the range in which the downstream end 99a of the medium 99 is located downstream of the detected region H2 of the temperature sensor 50 is the range in which the downstream end 99a of the medium 99 continues to be conveyed to the downstream side. Become.

The first transport speed V1 and the second transport speed V2 may be the same speed. For example, it is preferable that the first transport speed V1 and the second transport speed V2 are both set to the same speed as the transport speed in the print process, so that the speed corresponds to the transport speed of the medium 99 in the print process.

The user sets the medium 99 in a state where the downstream end 99a of the medium 99 is located at a position downstream of the heating area by a distance corresponding to the total length of the heating area, and the medium 99 in the warm-up operation is set. In the transport, the medium 99 may be started to be transported toward the upstream side. In this case, the transport of the medium 99 in the warm-up operation may include transport toward the upstream side and transport toward the downstream side. In this case, it is desirable to transport at least one of the transport toward the upstream side and the transport toward the downstream side at a speed corresponding to the transport speed of the medium in the predetermined process. In this case, the transport speed may be the same for the transport toward the upstream side and the transport toward the downstream side, but for example, one first transport speed, which is a speed corresponding to the transport speed of the medium in a predetermined process, is set to the other. It is preferable to set the speed higher than the second transport speed.

-The configuration is not limited to the configuration in which the warm-up operation is started by using a processing command such as a print command as a trigger. For example, the configuration may be such that the warm-up operation is started when the user performs an operation to command the warm-up operation. Further, the warm-up operation may be performed as one of the initial processing operations by using the power-on of the printing apparatus as a trigger.

The transport of the medium 99 in the warm-up operation may be configured only by transporting the medium 99 toward the upstream side. For example, the downstream end of the medium 99 is arranged at a set position where the medium 99 is pulled out downstream from the heating region HA by a predetermined length, and the medium 99 is conveyed from the set position toward the upstream side.

In the warm-up operation, the transfer speed of the medium 99 in the predetermined process and the corresponding speed do not have to be the same as the transfer speed of the medium 99 in the predetermined process. In the warm-up operation, the transport speed of the medium 99 during the warm-up operation is set in consideration of the fact that the total heating time of the medium 99 heated in the heating region HA before the temperature rises to the target temperature is longer than that when the predetermined treatment is performed. It may be set to be slightly higher than the transport speed of the medium 99 in the predetermined process. Further, in the warm-up operation, the liquid does not adhere to the medium 99, whereas in the printing process, the transport speed of the medium 99 in the warm-up operation is set to the medium 99 in the printing process in consideration of the liquid adhering to the medium. It may be set to be faster than the transport speed of.

The configuration is not limited to the configuration in which the medium 99 is transported at a speed corresponding to the transport speed of the medium 99 in the predetermined process, and for example, a transport speed dedicated to the warm-up operation may be set.
The transport of the medium 99 in the warm-up operation may be performed by simply shifting the region at the highest temperature position on the medium 99 from the detected region H2 at a predetermined timing. For example, the region at the highest temperature on the medium may be moved to a position within a low temperature region below a predetermined temperature in the temperature distribution of the heating region HA.

The heating unit may be a drying device without a mechanism for blowing a heated air flow (blower 47 and air passage 46). The heating unit may be configured to heat the printed medium only by the radiant heat of the heating element, for example. Further, the heating unit may be a drying device that blows only a heating air flow (for example, warm air) onto the printed medium.

-The heating element provided in the heating unit is not limited to the heater tube, but may be a heating wire or the like.
The printing apparatus is not limited to the serial printing method and the line printing method, and may be a lateral scanning method in which the print head can move in two directions, the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction.

The medium 99 is not limited to a long medium such as roll paper, and may be a single sheet paper as long as it is a medium having a certain length. In this case, the cut sheet may be longer than the distance L1 in FIG. In particular, it is preferable that the length of the sheet paper in the transport direction Y is longer than the length FH of the heating region HA.

-The medium is not limited to paper, but may be a synthetic resin sheet, film, cloth, foil, or the like, and may be, for example, a plastic film such as a transfer film or a thin plate material, or may be used for a printing device or the like. It may be a cloth.

The printing device 11 may be an industrial printing device that manufactures a part of an electronic component by using a printing technique (inkjet technique). For example, the printing mechanism 21 may be used for manufacturing a liquid crystal display, an EL (electroluminescence) display, a surface emitting display, or the like, and an electrode material, a coloring material (pixel material), or the like may be formed by discharging a liquid. Further, the printing apparatus may be a three-dimensional inkjet printer that produces a three-dimensional model by ejecting a liquid such as a resin liquid onto a base sheet (an example of a medium). After forming a three-dimensional model on the underlying sheet, the model on the sheet may be heated by a heating unit.

-The medium processing device is not limited to the device provided with the printing unit 20. The medium processing apparatus may be used separately from the apparatus provided with, for example, the printing unit 20 and independently. For example, the medium processing device may be arranged at a position on the downstream side of the device provided with the printing unit 20, and the medium 99 discharged from the device provided with the printing unit 20 may be received and the medium may be dried. Further, for purposes other than printing, it may be a medium processing device that dries the medium 99 to which the liquid adheres by ejection, coating, spraying, transfer, immersion or the like. Purposes other than printing include forming a coat layer on the surface of the medium (including coating (coating film formation)), coloring the medium, impregnating the medium with a treatment liquid or a treatment material (for example, particles), and wrinkling the medium. Processing etc. can be mentioned. As described above, the medium processing apparatus may be used for heat treatment (including drying) of media other than printed matter.

-The predetermined processing is not limited to the printing processing. The predetermined treatment is, for example, a treatment of spraying a liquid such as water on the surface of the medium, and the wrinkles of the medium may be smoothed by heating and drying the liquid-sprayed medium with a drying device. The predetermined treatment is a process of adhering the thermosetting resin liquid to the surface of the medium, and the thermosetting resin adhered to the surface of the medium by heating the medium to which the thermosetting resin liquid has adhered with a heating device (an example of a heating unit). The liquid may be thermoset. The temperature sensor may be a contact type capable of contacting the surface of the medium and detecting the surface temperature as long as the predetermined treatment does not cause any problem even if it comes into contact with the treated surface of the medium after the predetermined treatment.

11 ... as an example of a printing device as an example of a medium processing device, 12 ... an accommodating body, 13 ... a support surface, 13A ... a first support surface, 13B ... a second support surface, 13C ... a third support surface, 14 ... as an example of a transport unit. Conveyance mechanism, 17, 18 ... Conveying roller, 19 ... Support stand, 20 ... Printing unit, 21 ... Printing mechanism as an example of a printing unit, 22 ... Printing head, 24 ... Guide shaft, 30 ... Medium processing device, 31 ... Transport stand, 32 ... Support surface member, 33 ... Side frame, 40 ... Drying device as an example of heating unit, 41 ... Heating mechanism, 42 ... Housing, 43, 43A, 43B ... Heat generator, 44 ... Reflector, 46 ... air passage, 46a ... intake port, 46b ... outlet, 47 ... blower, 48 ... fan, 49 ... wire mesh, 50 ... temperature sensor, 51 ... medium sensor, 60 ... control unit, 71 ... fan motor, 72 ... transport Motor, 73 ... Feeding motor, 81 ... Storage unit, 82 ... First counter, 83 ... Second counter, 99 ... Medium, 99a ... Downstream end of medium, X ... Width direction, Y ... Transport direction, HA ... heating region, Ts ... medium surface temperature, Tc ... specific temperature, H2 ... detected region, A ... set position, B ... target position, C ... return position, RA ... range (reciprocating range), PR ... program, V1 ... 1st transport speed, V2 ... 2nd transport speed.

Claims (11)

A transport unit that transports the medium and
A heating unit that heats the medium,
A temperature sensor that detects the surface temperature of the medium in the heating region by the heating unit, and
A control unit that controls the heating unit based on the surface temperature of the medium detected by the temperature sensor is provided.
The control unit controls the heating unit to start a warm-up operation for raising the surface temperature of the medium to a predetermined temperature range, and in the warm-up operation, a predetermined medium is located in a region to be detected by the temperature sensor. A medium processing apparatus characterized in that the medium is conveyed within a range. The control unit starts the warm-up operation when it receives a processing command instructing a predetermined process, and ends the warm-up operation when it detects that the surface temperature of the medium has risen to the predetermined temperature range. The medium processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined processing is started. The medium processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the transport of the medium in the warm-up operation includes transport of the medium at a speed corresponding to the transport speed of the medium in the predetermined process. The control unit
After the warm-up operation is completed, the downstream end of the medium is conveyed to the upstream side of the heating region while the output of the heating unit is maintained within a predetermined range.
The medium processing apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the predetermined processing is started after the transportation to the upstream side from the heating region is completed. The control unit is characterized in that the medium is conveyed in the warm-up operation when the surface temperature of the medium detected by the temperature sensor is equal to or higher than a specific temperature lower than the predetermined temperature range. The medium processing apparatus according to any one of 1 to 4. The medium processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control unit transports the medium in the warm-up operation after a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of the warm-up operation. .. Wherein, as the conveyance of the medium in the warm-up operation, and conveying toward the lower stream side, claims 1, characterized in that for conveying and toward the opposite side of the upstream side and the downstream side 6 The medium processing apparatus according to any one of the above. The medium processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the second transport speed in the transport toward the upstream side is higher than the first transport speed in the transport toward the downstream side. Wherein, in the transport of the medium in the warm-up operation, the media in the surface temperature of the medium during the heating of the heating portion becomes highest position when the conveyance to the lower stream side of the medium is started The medium processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the upper region is conveyed to a position outside the heating region. In the transport of the medium in the warm-up operation, the control unit transports the region of the medium located at the upstream end of the heating region to a position downstream of the heating region at a predetermined timing. The medium processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9. A method for controlling a medium processing apparatus including a heating unit for heating a medium and a temperature sensor for detecting the surface temperature of the medium in a heating region heated by the heating unit.
The heating unit starts a warm-up operation to raise the surface temperature of the medium to a predetermined temperature range.
A method for controlling a medium processing apparatus, which comprises transporting the medium within a predetermined range in which a region on the medium is located in a region to be detected by the temperature sensor during the warm-up operation.

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